


Names Change Things - Dec 11, 2020

by Inky_moro



Series: Anno Uno Scribere [28]
Category: Original Work, Unus Annus - Fandom
Genre: Based On: Acupuncture is NOT Painful, Dec 11, Memento mori, Unus Annus
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:41:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28021827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Inky_moro/pseuds/Inky_moro
Summary: I was gonna write about fear and how expectation [of fear] can be a whole lot worse than reality, but I was looking through my notes and saw that the Valerie lady called Ethan ‘Arin’ and they seemed to play along with it for a bit. Ethan looked kinda uncomfy at the end when they continued the bit so here we are.A Mini-Essay on Names :))
Series: Anno Uno Scribere [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016157
Kudos: 2





	Names Change Things - Dec 11, 2020

Names have had a lot of importance throughout history. They are a way of identifying a person, and setting them just a bit apart from the rest. Names carry images and stereotypes with them. People look at someone and say “they look like a [name]”, or “I didn’t take you for/You don’t look like a [your name] ” A name does something when you receive it, that’s for sure- but what does it do, specifically? 

Maybe it changes you- or changes how the world perceives you. Just like how words shape our perception of objects- harsher sounds for sharper, jagged things- names can change the way you look at a person. It could be their first, last, or full name that causes people to look at someone differently. Maybe someone’s related to a celebrity- and now the spotlight is on them all the time, seeing if they’ll outshine a star. Maybe it’s a name like Malfoy- that gets sullied and people look upon with disgust. 

[There is the concept of a ‘true name’ which I don’t know too much about but is often used in fantasy books to command a demon or other mythical creature.]

If someone keeps their full or ‘real’ name hidden, it could very well be to protect them. If someone else learns that they aren’t who they claim then relationships have to be re-evaluated- comparing the name to the person you know, or thought you knew. This is only for undercover-type situations though. There are other reasons for people to change their name.

I find it likely that there are some cultures where kids take on adult names when they come of age. Perhaps, a person’s given name just doesn’t fit anymore, or they could have disliked it from the start. Afterall, we don’t agree to or consent to the names our parents give us- some of us just live with the name until we realize there’s another way. 

Sometimes names and the meanings they carry make people uncomfortable- and they feel happier with a different one. Sometimes people assume things about you because of your name- whether that be personality, or ethnicity, or gender, or something else- and you don’t want that. You wish to be perceived differently, thought of differently, because the current way that you are perceived or thought of is uncomfortable. Living with this discomfort can be really bad for your mental/emotional health, and one of the ways you can alleviate it is through the changing of your name. 

Such a simple thing, but such a powerful one too. People look at you differently- either because you have an interesting name, or because you now have one that blends you into the background. Changing your name means that you have changed as a person- or that you were never who they thought you were, never who they perceived you as. Changing your name can be freeing, liberating, life-saving.

**Author's Note:**

> Word Count: 480~


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